Position/Comparison Paper

RELS 2300 World Religions

Prepared by
Mikayla Falslev

PREFACE
It was very difficult deciding on one cohesive thesis for this paper. Over time, each world religion has
evolved. Throughout their many diverse histories, each religion has had many corrections and

derivations in its beliefs, codes and cultus. This creates the potential for having an equally valid
counterpoint for every point you can make about the beliefs and codes of any religion.

However, it would be hard to ignore the many common threads that the various religions of the world
share. Despite separations in geography, culture, economy and governance, each religion managed to
discover base truths that are so close to the others, one could argue that the similarities are humanitys
greatest proof of the hand of the Divine.

The religions may be even more similar in their original languages. All of the worlds major religions are in
at least their second language or alliteration. Having made translations of a simple brochure from English
to Spanish, I can tell you that some things simply cant be translated. Imagine in a few thousand years a
new culture digging up ancient English texts and forming a religion or set of beliefs based on its translated
meanings. This new religion might revere the bucket as a symbol for preserving life - because ancient
teachings showed that when a man named John kicked the bucket, he died.

Cultural idioms, similes and metaphors simply do not translate. Neither does sarcasm. We are foolish in
the extreme to consider ourselves smarter than the ancient Egyptians. More knowledgeable, yes.
Smarter, no. To assume there arent some sarcastic hieroglyphics out there or ones that reference a
cultural metaphor is foolish in the extreme. When we make translations from a language and culture we
do not know, we always lose the actual hidden meanings that come from actually living in that culture. Its
too bad really. I bet there are probably hidden digs about the Pharaohs hidden in certain passages of text
that would reveal a lot about the culture and sense of humour of this ancient civilization. Unfortunately,
that is probably forever lost.

THESIS

The worlds religions share many universal truths. They have arisen from a desire to better understand
the purpose of mans existence and to understand how they can best live their life and be happy. Look at
the heart of any religion and you will essentially find a guide of how to gain eternal happiness or bliss.
This is the function and substance of religion.

A common counterpoint to this is that the true function of religion is as a means of control over the
populace - this is wrong. If religion was merely a system of control, it would have little to no appeal to any
populace and would dissipate within a couple generations. People have the intrinsic ability to spot a fake.
It can sometimes take a while for the feeling to translate into thoughts and deeds, but it does occur.
Someone might point to Scientology as an example of how my statement is wrong, but I would point out
that Scientology has only been around for one generation.

The reason why people clamour to religion is a sense of control over their own lives and future, to
find a purpose and a promise of attaining happiness/bliss - now or in the future.

All of the religions we have researched share this core function and substance. They would be even
closer in creed, code and cultus today were it not for changes in the various religions due to errors in
translation, evolving cultures and the rise and fall of its original civilizations. Each of the major religions
has also undergone changes from within as its believers have continually sought greater enlightenment
and the purpose to the universe. Despite all of these evolutions, the worlds religions have much more in
common than they have differences.

To better illustrate the similarities of world religion, Christianity, Islam and Hinduism will be compared.
These religions are perceived by many to have the least amount in common and are religions that have a
history of conflict with one another.

CREEDS

Hinduism, Islam and Christianity all have sacred texts that they believe to have come from the Divine.
The Hindu Vedas are believed to have come from sages who received this information from God. The
Koran (Im using the American spelling) is believed to have some from Allah through the angel Gabriel
and delivered through his messenger Mohammed. Christianity would have been different if Jesus had
been determined to be a prophet rather than the son of God by the Catholic church. However, since
Jesus is part of the Godhead, his teachings and words as written through his disciples also become truths
handed down directly from God.

The early teachings of all three gospels are remarkably similar. Hindus believe that everything comes
from God, in fact that everything in the universe actually is God. Islam as believes that all comes from
Allah. Christianity is the only one to vary slightly, teaching that all comes from God, but not that his
essence is the true reality of everything. However, a person might argue that even Christianity has those
leanings as evidenced by recently found gospels. To paraphrase, split a piece of wood and you will find
me, turn over a stone and I am there.

Christianity and Islam teach and emphasize the concepts of Heaven and Hell. Depending upon a
persons life, he or she will be judged and go to either location. While Hinduism doesnt really have the
concept of hell, perhaps simply remaining on Earth to be reincarnated as a dung beetle is close enough to
hell on earth as one soul can get. Hinduism teaches through karma that all of a persons actions affect
the universe and have consequences. An Hindu becoming enlightened enough to escape Samsara and
return to the Supreme being could easily be construed as a concept of Heaven.

ETHICS/GUIDELINES

The duplicitousness of men is astounding. There are lots of areas I could cover under the heading of
Ethics/Guidelines, but I think the most pertinent common thread to cover would be war and persecution.

Treating your fellow man as a brother, another part of the divine, was an integral part of all three religions
at the beginning. Hindus considered worship of any deity to be worship coming back to the Supreme
being, because all Gods are simply another face of Brahma. Islam considered parts of other religions to
be parts of the truth, just coming from the various different corrections that God had made in the world.
Jesus taught that all men were sinners and that eye for an eye should be put aside. Instead turn the
other cheek and treat your brothers and sisters with love.

In all three religions, they have twisted these ethics and guidelines on how to treat their fellow man.
Christianity and Islam have both been used as a justification for conquest. Hinduism held out for the
longest number of years, but even it changed to battle Islam and bring back many of the people it had lost
to it and Buddhism. State supported Islam now views non-members as infidels and less than human.
Christianity condemns everyone to hell that hasnt been converted - therefore conquering a country is fine
as long as you bring religion with you.

CULTUS

Christianity, Islam and Hinduism all have building focused rituals. They each have various services and
means of re-connected and refreshing their devotion to God. Islam requires prayer five times a day.
Christianity calls for the covenant to be refreshed once a week through the Eucharist. Hinduism has so
many religious observances and rituals that it is said that every day of the year features some sort of ritual
in India.

Curiously, they all believe in one God that has multiple aspects. Allah has many names and aspects, but
the name Allah encompasses all of them. God the father, God the son and the Holy Spirit are all aspects
of the same Divinity. Hinduism has aspects of many diverse Gods, but all of them are simply part of the
same Supreme Being that is everything.

Personally, I think that defining Jesus as Divine, but only part of the one God was a nod to Judaism
converts in the early days of the church. Judaism taught that there was only one God and this was an
extremely defined belief. If early Christianity had preached that there was another separate Divinity, I
think they would have had a much more difficult time.

SUMMARY

There is a truth to the universe, and each religion seems to have a piece or pieces to this truth. Perhaps
there is a unifying knowledge or pattern behind everything that humanity is simply unable to comprehend
currently. Perhaps letting humanity discover and grow to this knowledge is the point to the universe. If
humans were given the complete truth to anything, it is in our nature to stop discovering, stop thinking and
striving. But, being given a clue and a piece to a puzzle, our inquisitive natures will never stop until we
have it all.

This class has been extremely enlightening for me. I have been impressed and amazed to learn of so
many common beliefs, codes and rituals that the major religions of the world share. While it may seem
naive or unnuanced to say that the core every religion shares is the quest for happiness/bliss, it has
become more and more obvious to me as I have gotten more in depth with every religion. Humanity has
always craved happiness. Perhaps the great mistake of the universe or the greatest gift from God was
giving birth to a being who could perceive unhappiness or dissatisfaction. Without it, humans would still
be living in mud huts.

Seeing so many common elements developed independently of one another in so many different religions
is fairly compelling evidence towards the hand of something divine. Atheism (a anti-deity religion) makes
less sense with this in mind. For me this tips the scales of Pascals Wager heavily towards the existence
of a higher being.

Works Cited

1. Class observations, World Religions, Fall Semester

2. Site visits, Madeline Cathedral, Mosque, Hindu Temple
3. Fisher, Mary Pat Living Religions 9th Edition, Pearson Publishing, 2016 e-book,
Christianity, Islam, Hinduism Chapter sections